In an unexpected turn of events, the newly constructed Indian Parliament building has found itself at the center of a brewing political storm. The catalyst? A startling incident of water infiltration that occurred on July 31, barely a year after the building's grand inauguration.

Manickam Tagore, a Member of Parliament from the opposition Congress party, has seized upon this incident to call for urgent action. In a bold move, Tagore has submitted an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament. His proposal? The formation of a specialized, multi-party committee tasked with conducting a comprehensive inspection of the Parliament building's structural integrity and weather resilience.


The incident in question saw water seeping into the Parliament lobby - a space typically traversed by no less than the President of India. Tagore, who serves as his party's whip in the Lok Sabha and represents the Virudhunagar constituency of Tamil Nadu, shared video evidence of the leak, underlining the gravity of the situation.

"This committee's mandate would be threefold," Tagore elaborated in his notice. "First, to pinpoint the root causes of these leaks. Second, to scrutinize the building's design and material quality. And third, to prescribe necessary remedial measures." He further emphasized the need for establishing a robust maintenance protocol and ensuring transparency by making the committee's findings public.

The timing of this incident is particularly embarrassing for the government. The new Parliament building, a ₹970 crore project, was inaugurated with great fanfare by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on May 28, 2023. Its first special sitting was held less than four months later, on September 19, 2023.

Adding to the government's discomfort, the water leak coincided with widespread waterlogging across the Delhi-NCR region, caused by heavy monsoon rains. The downpour disrupted traffic and overwhelmed stormwater drains in various parts of the capital, including the areas surrounding the Parliament.

In response to the adverse weather conditions, local authorities have taken the precautionary step of closing schools in Delhi. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the national capital, predicting more showers for August 1. A similar warning has been extended to the southern state of Kerala.

This incident has not only raised questions about the new Parliament building's construction quality but has also provided ammunition to opposition parties in the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. As the political debate intensifies, all eyes are now on the government's response to Tagore's proposal.